Washing-machine



(No Model.)

F. A. RUFF.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 326,060. Patented Sept. 8,1885.

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UNITED STAT S PATIENT Orrica.

FREDERICK A. RUFF, OF ST. CLAIR, MICHIGAN.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,060, datedSeptember 8,1885.

Application filed December 19, 1883. (X0 modll.)

Z 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK AUGUST RUFF, of St. Clair, in the countyof St. Clair and State of Michigan, haveinvented new and usefulImprovements in \Vashing-Machines; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in theconstruction of washing-machines, as they are ordinarily termed.

The invention consists in the construction of the various parts andtheir novel combination and arrangement, as more fully hereinafterdescribed. 7

Figurel is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail of a portion of the wash-board bottomenlarged.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Arepresents the rectangular tub supported on suitable legs,B, and it maybe provided with any suitable device for drawing off the water, ifpreferred.

0 are coiled or othersprings, preferably made of non-corrosive metal tosupport the corrugated zinc washboard D, which is secured in a properframe of a size to loosely fit the tub. At various places this washboardis perforated, preferably in the lowest portion of the corrugations, asshown at b.

E is a frame of a shorter length than the length of the tub, and it issupported upon the arms F, which are pivotally hung at the top of thetub, and one pair of these arms are connected together by a yoke, G, thefree ends of which are connected by a bar, H, which forms a handle, theparts being so connected and supported that the frame E is given areciprocating motion by the vibration of the handle. To one side of thisframe E is hinged the rubber proper, J. This rubber is composed of aseries of slats connected together in pairs by a suitable cross bar orbars, K.

These slats on their adjacent sides are inclined inversely from eachother. If preferred, suitable stops, a, may be secured to the walls ofthe tub to limit the upward action of the springs upon the wash-boardbut these are unnecessary, as under the ordinary. operation of themachine the pressure on the frame E, caused by the force of the operatoron the handle H, will prevent the wash-board from rising, so that if itis desired to'elxamine the clothes with the wash-board depressed it isonly necessary to bring the arms F in a vertical position, when theframe E,resting on the frame D, holds the latter in place, when therubber J may be lifted or swung upward, and the clothes examined or moreclothes put in as desired.

In practice, the water is placed in the tub, and preferably such watershould not be more than sufilcient to fill the tub to the height of thewash-board. The rubber proper is then tilted up, as shown in thedrawings, and the garments to be acted upon are then spread upon suchwash-board, and the rubber returned to its former position, and its freeend secured, to the frame opposite the hinged side by a button or otherwell-known detent. Now the operator by vibrating the handle reciprocatesthe frame, carrying the rubber over the clothes, the springs belowtending to force the wash-board upward and against the downward pressureof the rubber in its reciprocating motion, which is somewhat curvilinearunder the action of the crank-arms which carry it. This motion presentsone of each pair of slats of the rubber with its lowersharpened edge tothe garments, thereby scraping them, while the fellow slat presents itsobtuse angle and presses or squeezes them.

This occurs in each reciprocation of the rubber, and as the wash-boardgives under this action the water is forced up and through the garmentsthrough the perforations heretofore described in the wash-board. Whenthe clothes are thus cleansed, the rubber is tilted out of the way, asshown, when the garments can readily be removed to the wringer, whichmay be secured to one end of the tub.

I am aware of the Patents Nos. 45,122, 63,644, 71,445, and 265,695, andmake no claim to the construction shown therein as forming part of myinvention.

What I claim as my invention is- In a washing-machine, the wash-board D,consisting of a rectangular box-like frame provided with a perforatedcorrugated zinc bottom, in combination with a frame, E, restbottom,whereby injury to the clothes or buting on and traversing over saidwashboard tons thereon is prevented, substantially asset frame, and areciprocating rubber, J, hinged forth.

to said frame, and provided with slats ex- FREDERICK A. RUFF. tendingbelow the rubber frame into the space Witnesses: inclosed by thewash-board frame, leaving a H. S. SPRAGUE,

space between said slats and said perforated CHARLES J. HUNT.

